Note: Subscribers can access the first part of this interview by going to Back Issues and selecting "Begin Again" from the January/February 2008 issue of Rev!

Rev!: What's your take on the emerging church community?

Colson: I have concerns about the Emergent community, with some of the views of Brian McLaren and others. It troubles me that some of their leaders don't seem to believe the Bible or objective truth or that we should go further in worship than just getting people to know Jesus. There's a sense that we don't need Bible or doctrine, just a relationship with Jesus, which leads to a form of universalism and erosion of authority of the church. On the other hand, the emerging church movement is very healthy, younger pastors who say that the way we present things no longer resonates. They're tired of seeing congregations sit and listen. Why aren't we doing something more, getting active and involved? Doctrine is exciting. Dogma is the drama.

Rev!: You began Prison Fellowship nearly three decades ago. How can churches help you accomplish this mission?

Colson: We don't ask churches to come alongside of us, but we want to come alongside churches. This year, over half a million kids will be served through Operation Angel Tree, involving 14,000 congregations. We want to join you in your ministry to prisoners. The biggest need is for mentors when people get out of prison. Any church that wants to get on the frontlines could at least begin mentoring inmates when they get out, in addition to sending gifts to kids, sponsoring them for camp, and mentoring them as well. In the next five years, the U.S. plans to spend $6 billion on prison expansion for a 20 percent increase of inmates. That's another way churches can help keep kids out of prisons—by mentoring them with moral training. Social workers can't do it alone.

Rev!: What are you working on right now?

Colson: I'm taking all of my teachings and writings and making them accessible on a Web site, along with other people who are teaching about a serious, biblical worldview. Hopefully, in the next two years, a sophisticated Web site like this will be available for churches and Christians to use.

Rev!: If God suddenly called you to pastor a local church, what would you do to begin?

Colson: If I were a pastor, I'd get a board of elders, deacons, and serious Christians, perhaps 20 to 30 of them, and put them through one year of serious discipleship. Then I'd unleash them on the rest of the congregation and start making discipleship mandatory. I'd tell our congregation, "We love the fact that you want to come worship on Sundays, but to belong to a church is something more. It's to become holy. We want you to give one night a week for courses and get very intentional about discipleship." When you get that done, the rest falls into place. When people are transformed, they'll do works of mercy and justice and teach other people, but without a core like that, it will never happen.

Rev!: If you could tell pastors and church leaders just one thing, what would it be?

Colson: I think what I'ld tell them is that the way to have the greatest impact on the church and culture is to disciple your leaders first and then your congregation. Remember, our belief system is at the root of culture. Culture is nothing more than religion incarnate. If you want to change the world, disciple your church.

Rethink Conference, featuring Charles Colson